Hydrogen»historical information [WebElements Periodic Table] Hydrogen: historical information Hydrogen: historical information Hydrogen was discovered by Henry Cavendish at 1766 in London, England. Origin of name : from the Greek words "hydro" and "genes" meaning "water" and "generator" Robert Boyle (1627-1691; English chemist and physicist) published a paper ("New experiments touching the relation betwixt flame and air") in 1671 in which he described the reaction between iron filings and dilute acids which results in the evolution of gaseous hydrogen ("inflammable solution of Mars" [iron]). However it was only much later that it was recognized as an element by Henry Cavendish (1731-1810; an English chemist and physicist who also independently discovered nitrogen) in 1766 when he collected it over mercury and described it as "inflammable air from metals". Cavendish described accurately hydrogen's properties but thought erroneously that the gas originated from the metal rather than from the acid. Hydrogen was named by Lavoisier.

Deuterium gas (2H2, often written D2), made up from deuterium, a heavy isotope of hydrogen, was discovered in 1931 by Harold Urey, a professor of chemistry at Chicago and California (both USA). Sometime prior to the autumn of 1803, the Englishman John Dalton was able to explain the results of some of his studies by assuming that matter is composed of atoms and that all samples of any given compound consist of the same combination of these atoms. Dalton also noted that in series of compounds, the ratios of the masses of the second element that combine with a given weight of the first element can be reduced to small whole numbers (the law of multiple proportions). This was further evidence for atoms. Dalton's theory of atoms was published by Thomas Thomson in the 3rd edition of his System of Chemistry in 1807 and in a paper about strontium oxalates published in the Philosophical Transactions. Dalton published these ideas himself in the following year in the New System of Chemical Philosophy. The symbol used by Dalton for hydrogen is shown below.

[See History of Chemistry, Sir Edward Thorpe, volume 1, Watts & Co, London, 1914.] In 1839 a British scientist Sir William Robert Grove carried out experiments on electrolysis. He used electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. He then argued one should be able to reverse the electrolysis and so generate electricity from the reaction of oxygen with hydrogen. He enclosed platinum strips in separate sealed bottles, one containing hydrogen and one oxygen. When the containers were immersed in dilute sulphuric acid a current indeed flowed between the two electrodes and water was formed in the gas bottles. He linked several of these devices in series to increase the voltage produced in a gas battery. Later the term fuel cell was used by the chemists Ludwig Mond and Charles Langer. In 1932 Dr Francis Thomas Bacon, an engineer at Cambridge University in the UK, worked further on designs of Mond and Langer. He replaced the platinum electrodes with less expensive nickel gauze and substituted the sulphuric acid electrolyte for alkaline potassium hydroxide (less corrosive to the electrodes). This was in essence the first alkaline fuel cell (AFC) and was called the Bacon Cell.

It took Bacon another 27 years to demonstrate a machine capable of producing 5 kW of power, enough to power a welding machine. At about the same time the first fuel cell powered vehicle was demonstrated. Much later fuel cells were by NASA in the 1960s for the Apollo space missions. Fuel cells have been used for more than 100 missions in NASA spacecraft. Fuel cells are also used in submarines. The lifting agent for the ill fated Hindenberg ballooon was hydrogen rather than the safer helium. The image below is the scene probably in a way you have not seen it before. This is a "ray-traced" image reproduced with the permission of Johannes Ewers , the artist, who won first place with this image in the March/April 1999 Internet Raytracing Competition . For details of ray-tracing you can't beat the POV-Ray site.

WebElements chemistry shop You can buy periodic table posters, mugs, T-shirts, periodic table fridge magnets, games, molecular models, and more at the WebElements periodic table shop It's Elemental - The Element Hydrogen It's Elemental Melting Point: 13.81 K (-259.34°C or -434.81°F) Boiling Point: 20.28 K (-252.87°C or -423.17°F) Density: 0.00008988 grams per cubic centimeter Phase at Room Temperature: Gas Element Classification: Non-metal Period Number: 1 Group Number: 1 Group Name: none What's in a name? From the Greek words hydro and genes, which together mean "water forming." Say what? Hydrogen is pronounced as HI-dreh-jen. History and Uses: Scientists had been producing hydrogen for years before it was recognized as an element. Written records indicate that Robert Boyle produced hydrogen gas as early as 1671 while experimenting with iron and acids. Hydrogen was first recognized as a distinct element by Henry Cavendish in 1766.

Composed of a single proton and a single electron , hydrogen is the simplest and most abundant element in the universe . It is estimated that 90% of the visible universe is composed of hydrogen. Hydrogen is the raw fuel that most stars 'burn' to produce energy. The same process, known as fusion, is being studied as a possible power source for use on earth. The sun's supply of hydrogen is expected to last another 5 billion years. Hydrogen is a commercially important element. Large amounts of hydrogen are combined with nitrogen from the air to produce ammonia (NH3) through a process called the Haber process. Hydrogen is also added to fats and oils, such as peanut oil, through a process called hydrogenation. Liquid hydrogen is used in the study of superconductors and, when combined with liquid oxygen , makes an excellent rocket fuel. Hydrogen combines with other elements to form numerous compounds. Some of the common ones are: water (H2O), ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4), table sugar (C12H22O11), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and hydrochloric acid (HCl). Hydrogen has three common isotopes .

The simplest isotope, called protium, is just ordinary hydrogen. The second, a stable isotope called deuterium , was discovered in 1932. The third isotope, tritium , was discovered in 1934. Estimated Crustal Abundance: 1.40×103 milligrams per kilogram Estimated Oceanic Abundance: 1.08×105 milligrams per liter Number of Stable Isotopes: 2 ( View all isotope data ) Ionization Energy: 13.598 eV Henry Cavendish Biography - life, history, son, information, born, time Henry Cavendish Biography London, England English physicist and chemist The English physicist and chemist Henry Cavendish determined the value of the universal constant of gravitation, made noteworthy electrical studies, and is credited with the discovery of hydrogen and the composition of water. Early years Henry Cavendish was born in Nice, France, on October 10, 1731, the oldest son of Lord Charles Cavendish and Lady Anne Grey, who died a few years after Henry was born. As a youth he attended Dr.

Newcomb's Academy in Hackney, England. He entered Peterhouse, Cambridge, in 1749, but left after three years without taking a degree. Cavendish returned to London, England to live with his father. There, Cavendish built himself a laboratory and workshop. When his father died in 1783, Cavendish moved the laboratory to Clapham Common, where he also lived. He never married and was so reserved that there is little record of his having any social life except occasional meetings with scientific friends. Contributions to chemistry During his lifetime Cavendish made notable discoveries in chemistry, mainly between 1766 and 1788, and in electricity, between 1771 and 1788. In 1798 he published a single notable paper on the density of the earth. At the time Cavendish began his chemical work, chemists were just beginning to recognize that the "airs" that were evolved in many chemical reactions were clear parts and not just modifications of ordinary air. Cavendish reported his own work in "Three Papers Containing Experiments on Factitious Air" in 1766.

These papers added greatly to knowledge of the formation of "inflammable air" (hydrogen) by the action of dilute acids (acids that have been weakened) on metals. Cavendish's other great achievement in chemistry is his measuring of the density of hydrogen. Although his figure is only half what it should be, it is astonishing that he even found the right order. Not that his equipment was crude; where the techniques of his day allowed, his equipment was capable of precise results. Cavendish also investigated the products of fermentation, a chemical reaction that splits complex organic compounds into simple substances. He showed that the gas from the fermentation of sugar is nearly the same as the "fixed air" characterized by the compound of chalk and magnesia (both are, in modern language, carbon dioxide). Another example of Cavendish's ability was "Experiments on Rathbone-Place Water"(1767), in which he set the highest possible standard of accuracy. "Experiments" is regarded as a classic of analytical chemistry (the branch of chemistry that deals with separating substances into the different chemicals Henry Cavendish. Library of Congress . they are made from).

In it Cavendish also examined the phenomenon (a fact that can be observed) of the retention of "calcareous earth" (chalk, calcium carbonate) in solution (a mixture dissolved in water). In doing so, he discovered the reversible reaction between calcium carbonate and carbon dioxide to form calcium bicarbonate, the cause of temporary hardness of water. He also found out how to soften such water by adding lime (calcium hydroxide). One of Cavendish's researches on the current problem of combustion (the process of burning) made an outstanding contribution to general theory. In 1784 Cavendish determined the composition (make up) of water, showing that it was a combination of oxygen and hydrogen. Joseph Priestley (1733–1804) had reported an experiment in which the explosion of the two gases had left moisture on the sides of a previously dry container. Cavendish studied this, prepared water in measurable amount, and got an approximate figure for its volume composition. Electrical research Cavendish published only a fraction of the experimental evidence he had available to support his theories, but his peers were convinced of the correctness of his conclusions.

He was not the first to discuss an inverse-square law of electrostatic attraction (the attraction between opposite—positive and negative—electrical charges). Cavendish's idea, however, based in part on mathematical reasoning, was the most effective. He founded the study of the properties of dielectrics (nonconducting electricity) and also distinguished clearly between the amount of electricity and what is now called potential. Cavendish had the ability to make a seemingly limited study give far-reaching results. An example is his study of the origin of the ability of some fish to give an electric shock. He made up imitation fish of leather and wood soaked in salt water, with pewter (tin) attachments representing the organs of the fish that produced the effect. By using Leyden jars (glass jars insulated with tinfoil) to charge the imitation organs, he was able to show that the results were entirely consistent with the fish's ability to produce electricity. This investigation was among the earliest in which the conductivity of aqueous (in water) solutions was studied. Cavendish began to study heat with his father, then returned to the subject in 1773–1776 with a study of the Royal Society's meteorological instruments.

(The Royal Society is the world's oldest and most distinguished scientific organization.) During these studies he worked out the most important corrections to be employed in accurate thermometry (the measuring of temperature). In 1783 he published a study of the means of determining the freezing point of mercury. In it he added a good deal to the general theory of fusion (melting together by heat) and freezing and the latent heat changes that accompany them (the amount of heat absorbed by the fused material). Cavendish's most celebrated investigation was that on the density of the earth. He took part in a program to measure the length of a seconds pendulum close to a large mountain (Schiehallion). Variations from the period on the plain would show the attraction put out by the mountain, from which the density of its substance could be figured out. Cavendish also approached the subject in a more fundamental way by determining the force of attraction of a very large, heavy lead ball for a very small, light ball. The ratio between this force and the weight of the light ball would result in the density of the earth. His results went unquestioned for nearly a century.

Unpublished works Had Cavendish published all of his work, his already great influence would undoubtedly have been greater. In fact, he left in manuscript form a vast amount of work that often anticipated the work of those who followed him. It came to light only bit by bit until the thorough study undertaken by James Maxwell (1831–1879) and by Edward Thorpe (1845–1925). In these notes is to be found such material as the detail of his experiments to examine the conductivity of metals, as well as many chemical questions such as a theory of chemical equivalents. He even had a theory of partial pressures before John Dalton (1766–1844). However, the history of science is full of instances of unpublished works that might have influenced others but in fact did not. Whatever he did not reveal, Cavendish gave other scientists enough to help them on the road to modern ideas. Nothing he did has been rejected, and for this reason he is still, in a unique way, part of modern life.

For More Information Hydrogen, Chemical Element - reaction, water, uses, elements, examples, metal, gas, number HY-dru-jin Discovery and naming Hydrogen was probably "discovered" many times. Many early chemists reported finding a "flammable gas" in some of their experiments. In 1671, for example, English chemist Robert Boyle (1627-91) described experiments in which he added iron to hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ). In both cases, a gas that burned easily with a pale blue flame was produced. The problem with these early discoveries was that chemists did not understand the nature of gases very well. They had not learned that there are many kinds of gases. They thought that all the "gases" they saw were some form of air with impurities in it. Cavendish discovered hydrogen in experiments like those that Boyle performed. He added iron metal to different acids and found that a flammable gas was produced. But Cavendish thought the flammable gas came from the iron and not from the acid. Chemists later showed that iron is an element and does not contain hydrogen or anything else.

Therefore, the hydrogen in Cavendish's experiment came from the acid: Hydrogen was named by French chemist Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier (1743-94). Lavoisier is sometimes called the father of modern chemistry because of his many contributions to the science. Lavoisier suggested the name hydrogen after the Greek word for "water former" (that which forms water). (See sidebar on Lavoisier in the oxygen entry in volume 2.) Physical properties Hydrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas. Its density is the lowest of any chemical element, 0.08999 grams per liter. By comparison, a liter of air weighs 1.29 grams, 14 times as much as a liter of hydrogen. Hydrogen changes from a gas to a liquid at a temperature of -252.77°C (-422.99°F) and from a liquid to a solid at a temperature of -259.2°C (-434.6°F). It is slightly soluble in water, alcohol, and a few other common liquids.

Chemical properties Hydrogen burns in air or oxygen to produce water: Stars use hydrogen as a fuel with which to produce energy. Antares—the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius—is shown here. It also combines readily with other non-metals, such as sulfur, phosphorus, and the halogens. The halogens are the elements that make up Group 17 (VIIA) of the periodic table. They include fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and astatine. As an example: Occurrence in nature Hydrogen occurs throughout the universe in two forms. First, it occurs in stars. Stars use hydrogen as a fuel with which to produce energy. The process by which stars use hydrogen is known as fusion. Fusion is the process by which two or more small atoms are pushed together to make one large atom. In most stars, the primary fusion reaction that occurs is: This equation shows that four hydrogen atoms are squeezed together (fused) to make one helium atom. In this process, enormous amounts of energy are released in the form of heat and light. Hydrogen also occurs in the "empty" spaces between stars.

At one time, scientists thought that this space was really empty, that it contained no atoms of any kind. But, in fact, this interstellar space (space between stars) contains a small number of atoms, most of which are hydrogen atoms. A cubic mile of interstellar space usually contains no more than a handful of hydrogen and other atoms. Hydrogen occurs on the Earth primarily in the form of water. Every molecule of water (H 2 O) contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Hydrogen is also found in many rocks and minerals. Its abundance is estimated to be about 1,500 parts per million. That makes hydrogen the tenth most abundant element in the Earth's crust. Hydrogen also occurs to a very small extent in the Earth's atmosphere. Its abundance there is estimated to be about0.000055 percent. Hydrogen is not abundant in the atmosphere because it has such a low density. The Earth's gravity is not able to hold on to hydrogen atoms very well. They float away into outer space very easily. Most of the hydrogen that was once in the atmosphere has now escaped into outer space.

Isotopes There are three isotopes of hydrogen, hydrogen-1, hydrogen-2, and hydrogen-3. Isotopes are two or more forms of an element. Isotopes differ from each other according to their mass number. The number written to the right of the element's name is the mass number. The mass number represents the number of protons plus neutrons in the nucleus of an atom of the element. The number of protons determines the element, but the number of neutrons in the atom of any one element can vary. Each variation is an isotope. The three isotopes of hydrogen have special names. Hydrogen-1 is sometimes called protium. It is the simplest and most common form of hydrogen. Protium atoms all contain one proton and one electron. About 99.9844 percent of the hydrogen in nature is protium. The man who gave hydrogen its name, Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier, is sometimes called the father of modern chemistry. Hydrogen-2 is known as deuterium. A deuterium atom contains one proton, one electron, and one neutron. About 0.0156 percent of the hydrogen in nature is deuterium.

The third isotope of hydrogen, hydrogen-3, is tritium. An atom of tritium contains one proton, one electron, and two neutrons. There are only very small traces of tritium in nature. Tritium is a radioactive isotope. A radioactive isotope is one that breaks apart and gives off some form of radiation. Some radioactive isotopes (such as tritium) occur in nature. They can also be produced in the laboratory. Very small particles are fired at atoms. These particles stick in the atoms and make them radioactive. Tritium is a widely used isotope and is now made in large amounts in the laboratory. Tritium is widely used as a tracer in both industry and research. A tracer is a radioactive isotope whose presence in a system can easily be detected. The isotope is injected into the system at some point. Inside the system, the isotope gives off radiation. That radiation can be followed by means of detectors placed around the system. Tritium is popular as a tracer because hydrogen occurs in so many different compounds. For example, suppose a scientist wants to trace the movement of water through soil.

The scientist can make up a sample of water made with tritium instead of protium. As that water moves through the soil, its path can be followed by means of the radioactivity the tritium gives off. Tritium is also used in the manufacture of fusion bombs. A fusion bomb is also known as a hydrogen bomb. In a fusion bomb, small atoms are squeezed together (fused) to make a larger atom. In the process, enormous amounts of energy are given off. For example, the first fusion bomb tested by the United States in 1952 had the explosive power of 15 million tons of TNT. A type of fusion bomb fuses tritium with deuterium to make helium atoms: Stars use hydrogen as a fuel with which to produce energy. Extraction The obvious source for hydrogen is water. The Earth has enough water to supply people's need for hydrogen. The problem is that it takes a lot of energy to split a water molecule: In fact, it simply costs too much to make hydrogen by this method. The cost of electricity is too high. So it is not economical to make hydrogen by splitting water. A number of other methods can be used to produce hydrogen, however.

For example, steam can be passed over hot charcoal (nearly pure carbon): The same reaction can be used with steam and other carbon compounds. For example, using methane, or natural gas (CH 4 ), the reaction is: Hydrogen can also be made by the reaction between carbon monoxide (CO) and steam: Because hydrogen is such an important element, many other methods for producing it have been invented. However, the preceding methods are the least expensive. Uses The most important single use of hydrogen is in the manufacture of ammonia (NH 3 ). Ammonia is made by combining hydrogen and nitrogen at high pressure and temperature in the presence of a catalyst. A catalyst is a substance used to speed up or slow down a chemical reaction. The catalyst does not undergo any change during the reaction: Ammonia is a very important compound. It is used in making many products, the most important of which is fertilizer. Hydrogen is also used for a number of similar reactions. For example, it can be combined with carbon monoxide to make methanol—methyl alcohol, or wood alcohol (CH 3 OH): Tritium (hydrogen-3, the third isotope of hydrogen), is used in the manufacture of fusion bombs.

Like ammonia, methanol has a great many practical uses in a variety of industries. The most important use of methanol is in the manufacture of other chemicals, such as those from which plastics are made. Small amounts are used as additives to gasoline to reduce the amount of pollution released to the environment. Methanol is also used widely as a solvent (to dissolve other materials) in industry. Another important use of hydrogen is in the production of pure metals. Hydrogen gas is passed over a hot metal oxide to produce the pure metal. For example, molybdenum can be prepared by passing hydrogen over hot molybdenum oxide: The Hindenburg explosion T he Hindenburg was Germany's largest passenger airship. It was built in 1936 as a luxury liner, and made the trip to the United States faster than an ocean liner. The Hindenburg was designed to be filled with helium, a safer gas than the highly flammable hydrogen. But in those post-World War II days, the United States suspected that Germany's new leader, Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), had military plans for helium-filled ships. So the United States refused to sell helium to the Zeppelin air-ship company.

Seven million cubic feet of hydrogen was used instead. This made the crew very nervous about the potential for fire. Passengers were even checked for matches as they boarded! On May 3, 1937, the Hindenburg left Frankfurt, Germany, for Lakehurst, New Jersey. It travelled over the Netherlands, down the English Channel, through Canada, and into the United States. Bad weather forced the ship to slow down several times, lengthening the trip. But it finally approached the field in Lakehurst around 7:00 P.M. on May 6. After several minutes of maneuvers due to rain and wind, crewmen dropped ropes to the ground at 7:21. The ship was 200 feet above ground. Four minutes later, a small flame emerged on the skin of the ship, and crewmen heard a pop and felt a shudder. Seconds later, the Hindenburg exploded. Flaming hydrogen blasted out of the top. Within 32 seconds, the entire airship had burned, the framework had collapsed, and the entire ship lay smoldering on the ground. Thirty-six people died. Amazingly, 62 survived.

Although claims of sabotage have always surrounded the Hindenburg tragedy, American and German investigators both agreed it was an accident. Both sides concluded that the airship's hydrogen was ignited probably by some type of atmospheric electric discharge. Witnesses had noticed some of the skin of the ship flapping; they also observed the nose of the ship rise suddenly. Both indicate the likelihood that free hydrogen had escaped. The Hindenburg disaster ended lighter-than-air air-ship travel for many decades. Hydrogenation is an important procedure to the food industry. In hydrogenation, hydrogen is chemically added to another The dramatic explosion of the Hindenburg in 1937 occurred when hydrogen was ignited. substance. The reaction between carbon monoxide and hydrogen is an example of hydrogenation. Liquid oils are often hydrogenated. Hydrogenation changes the liquid oil to a solid fat. Most kitchens contain foods with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. Vegetable shortening, such as Crisco, is a good example. Hydrogenation makes it easier to pack and transport oils. Hydrogen is also used in oxyhydrogen ("oxygen + hydrogen") and atomic hydrogen torches. These torches produce temperatures of a few thousand degrees.

At these temperatures, it is possible to cut through steel and most other metals. These torches can also be used to weld (join together with heat) two metals. Another use for hydrogen is in Lighter-than-air balloons. Hydrogen is the least dense of all gases. So a balloon filled with hydrogen can lift very large loads. Such balloons are not used to carry people. The danger of fire or explosion is too great. On May 6, 1937, a hydrogen fire destroyed the German airship Hindenburg, as it was landing in Lakehurst, New Jersey; 36 people died. Today, hydrogen balloons are used for lifting weather instruments into the upper atmosphere. One of the best known uses of hydrogen is as a rocket fuel. Many rockets obtain the power they need for lift-off by burning oxygen and hydrogen in a closed tank. The energy produced by this reaction provides thrust to the rocket. Solving the world's energy problems M ost people don't worry about filling their cars with gas. They seem to believe that there will always be enough coal, oil, and natural gas to keep civilization running. Those three fuels—the "fossil fuels"—are what keep people on the move today.

They fuel cars and trucks, heat homes and offices, and keep factories operating. But fossil fuels will not last forever. At some point, all the coal, oil, and natural gas will be gone. What source of energy will humans turn to? Some people believe that hydrogen is the answer. They talk about the day when the age of fossil fuels will be replaced by a hydrogen economy. "Hydrogen economy" refers to a world in which the burning of hydrogen will be the main source of energy and power. Hydrogen seems to be a good choice for future energy needs. When it burns, it produces only water: A lot of energy is produced in this reaction. That energy can be used to operate cars, trucks, trains, boats, and airplanes. It can be used as a source of heat for keeping people warm and running chemical reactions. Why doesn't a hydrogen economy exist today? The answer is easy. It is still too expensive to make hydrogen gas. No one has found a way to remove hydrogen from water or some other source at a low cost. It is still cheaper to mine for coal or drill for oil than to make hydrogen. But that may not always be true. Some day, someone will find a way to make hydrogen cheaply.

When that happens, the day of the hydrogen economy will have arrived. Compounds Millions of hydrogen compounds are known. One of the most important groups of hydrogen compounds is the acids. An acid is any compound that contains hydrogen as its positive part. Common acids include: hydrochloric acid (HCl), sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ), nitric acid (HNO 3 ), acetic acid (HC 2 H 3 O 2 ), phosphoric acid (H 3 PO 4 ), and hydrofluoric acid (HF). Acids are present in thousands of natural substances and artificial products. The following list gives a few examples: vinegar, or acetic acid (HC 2 H 3 O 2 ); sour milk, or lactic acid (C 3 H 6 O 3 ); lemons and other citrus fruits, or citric acid (C 6 H 8 O 7 ); soda water, or carbonic acid (H 2 CO 3 ); battery acid, or sulfuric acid H 2 SO 4 ); and boric acid (H 3 BO 3 ). Health effects Hydrogen is essential to every plant and animal. Nearly every compound in a living cell contains hydrogen.

It is harmless to humans unless taken in very large amounts. In this case, it is dangerous only because it cuts off the supply of oxygen humans need to breathe. User Contributions: What are some interesting hydrogen facts for kids? | Reference.com What are some interesting hydrogen facts for kids? A: Quick Answer Some interesting hydrogen facts for kids include that it is the most common element found throughout the universe, where it is often found in stars and gas planets, such as Jupiter. Hydrogen is one of the two elements, along with oxygen, that composes water. Full Answer Hydrogen was officially discovered in 1766 by Henry Cavendish, but was not given its name until 1783. Its name is based on the Greek prefix hydro-, which means water. Hydrogen gas has no smell, taste or color. Hydrogen is represented by the letter H in chemistry. It is the first element listed on the periodic table, which means that it has an atomic number of one and contains one proton in the nucleus of a hydrogen atom. When it's in its gaseous state, it is represented by the formula H2, which means that two hydrogen atoms are combined, or bonded, together.

Zeppelins, early machines for air travel, used helium to rise, similar to helium balloons. Hydrogen gas was responsible for the Hindenburg disaster in 1936, because its high flammability caused the craft to catch fire. Hydrogen is an important component of petroleum fuel used to power cars. It is also used in rocket fuels as a liquid. Hydrogen»the essentials [WebElements Periodic Table] Element News Hydrogen: the essentials Note that while hydrogen is normally shown at the top of the Group 1 elements in the periodic table, the term "alkaline metal" refers to the Group 1 elements from lithium downwards and not hydrogen. Hydrogen is the lightest element. It is by far the most abundant element in the universe and makes up about about 90% of the universe by weight. It is also the most abundant element in the earth's sun. Hydrogen as water (H2O) is absolutely essential to life and it is present in all organic compounds. Hydrogen is the lightest gas. Hydrogen gas was used in lighter-than-air balloons for transport but is far too dangerous because of the fire risk (Hindenburg).

It burns in air to form only water as waste product and if hydrogen could be made on sufficient scale from other than fossil fuels then there might be a possibility of a hydrogen economy. CAS Registry ID : 1333-74-0 Hydrogen: historical information Hydrogen was discovered by Henry Cavendish in 1766 at London, England. Origin of name : from the Greek words "hydro" and "genes" meaning "water" and "generator". Robert Boyle (1627-1691; English chemist and physicist) published a paper ("New experiments touching the relation betwixt flame and air") in 1671 in which he described the reaction between iron filings and dilute acids which results in the evolution of gaseous hydrogen ("inflammable solution of Mars" [iron]). However it was only much later that it was recognized as an element by Henry Cavendish (1731-1810; an English chemist and physicist who also independently discovered nitrogen) in 1766 when he collected it over mercury and described it as "inflammable air from metals".

Cavendish described accurately hydrogen's properties but thought erroneously that the gas originated from the metal rather than from the acid. Hydrogen was named by Lavoisier. Deuterium gas (2H2, often written D2), made up from deuterium, a heavy isotope of hydrogen, was discovered in 1931 by Harold Urey, a professor of chemistry at Chicago and California (both USA). Sometime prior to the autumn of 1803, the Englishman John Dalton was able to explain the results of some of his studies by assuming that matter is composed of atoms and that all samples of any given compound consist of the same combination of these atoms. Dalton also noted that in series of compounds, the ratios of the masses of the second element that combine with a given weight of the first element can be reduced to small whole numbers (the law of multiple proportions). This was further evidence for atoms. Dalton's theory of atoms was published by Thomas Thomson in the 3rd edition of his System of Chemistry in 1807 and in a paper about strontium oxalates published in the Philosophical Transactions.

Dalton published these ideas himself in the following year in the New System of Chemical Philosophy. The symbol used by Dalton for hydrogen is shown below. [See History of Chemistry, Sir Edward Thorpe, volume 1, Watts & Co, London, 1914.] In 1839 a British scientist Sir William Robert Grove carried out experiments on electrolysis. He used electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. He then argued one should be able to reverse the electrolysis and so generate electricity from the reaction of oxygen with hydrogen. He enclosed platinum strips in separate sealed bottles, one containing hydrogen and one oxygen. When the containers were immersed in dilute sulphuric acid a current indeed flowed between the two electrodes and water was formed in the gas bottles. He linked several of these devices in series to increase the voltage produced in a gas battery. Later the term fuel cell was used by the chemists Ludwig Mond and Charles Langer. In 1932 Dr Francis Thomas Bacon, an engineer at Cambridge University in the UK, worked further on designs of Mond and Langer.

He replaced the platinum electrodes with less expensive nickel gauze and substituted the sulphuric acid electrolyte for alkaline potassium hydroxide (less corrosive to the electrodes). This was in essence the first alkaline fuel cell (AFC) and was called the Bacon Cell. It took Bacon another 27 years to demonstrate a machine capable of producing 5 kW of power, enough to power a welding machine. At about the same time the first fuel cell powered vehicle was demonstrated. Much later fuel cells were by NASA in the 1960s for the Apollo space missions. Fuel cells have been used for more than 100 missions in NASA spacecraft. Fuel cells are also used in submarines. The lifting agent for the ill fated Hindenberg ballooon was hydrogen rather than the safer helium. The image below is the scene probably in a way you have not seen it before. This is a "ray-traced" image reproduced with the permission of Johannes Ewers , the artist, who won first place with this image in the March/April 1999 Internet Raytracing Competition . For details of ray-tracing you can't beat the POV-Ray site.

Hydrogen around us Read more » Hydrogen makes up two of the three atoms in water and water is absolutely essential to life. Hydrogen is present in all organic compounds. A form of water in which both hydrogen atoms are replaced by deuterium (2H, or D) is called "heavy water" (D2O) and is toxic to mammals. Some bacteria are known to metabolise molecular hydrogen (H2). H2 gas is present in the earth's atmosphere in very small quantities, but is present to a far greater extent chemically bound as water (H2O) Water is a constituent of many minerals. Hydrogen is the lightest element and is by far the most abundant element in the universe, making up about about 90% of the atoms or 75% of the mass, of the universe. Hydrogen is a major constituent of the the sun and most stars. The sun burns by a number of nuclear processes but mainly through the fusion of hydrogen nuclei into helium nuclei. Hydrogen is a major component of the planet Jupiter. In the planet's interior the pressure is probably so great that solid molecular hydrogen is converted into solid metallic hydrogen. Abundances for hydrogen in a number of different environments.

More abundance data » Location Second ionisation energy : (no data) kJ mol‑1 Isolation Isolation : in the laboratory, small amounts of hydrogen gas may be made by the reaction of calcium hydride with water. CaH2 + 2H2O → Ca(OH)2 + 2H2 This is quite efficient in the sense that 50% of the hydrogen produced comes from water. Another very convenient laboratory scale experiment follows Boyle's early synthesis, the reaction of iron filings with dilute sulphuric acid. Fe + H2SO4 → FeSO4 + H2 There are many industrial methods for the production of hydrogen and that used will depend upon local factors such as the quantity required and the raw materials to hand. Two processes in use involve heating coke with steam in the water gas shift reaction or hydrocarbons such as methane with steam. CH4 + H2O (1100°C) → CO + 3H2 C(coke) + H2O (1000°C) → CO + H2 In both these cases, further hydrogen may be made by passing the CO and steam over hot (400°C) iron oxide or cobalt oxide.

CO + H2O → CO2 + H2 Read more » The Hydrogen isotope H-2, also known as deuterium, is used in a variety of applications. Deuterium is used extensively in organic chemistry in order to study chemical reactions. It is also used in vitamin research. Deuterium in the form of H2O, known as heavy water, is used as a moderator in CANDU nuclear reactors, in NMR studies and in studies into human metabolism. Heavy water is also applied in the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory where it is used to study the behavior of neutrinos. What are some interesting hydrogen facts for kids? | Reference.com What are some interesting hydrogen facts for kids? A: Quick Answer Some interesting hydrogen facts for kids include that it is the most common element found throughout the universe, where it is often found in stars and gas planets, such as Jupiter. Hydrogen is one of the two elements, along with oxygen, that composes water. Full Answer Hydrogen was officially discovered in 1766 by Henry Cavendish, but was not given its name until 1783. Its name is based on the Greek prefix hydro-, which means water.

Hydrogen gas has no smell, taste or color. Hydrogen is represented by the letter H in chemistry. It is the first element listed on the periodic table, which means that it has an atomic number of one and contains one proton in the nucleus of a hydrogen atom. When it's in its gaseous state, it is represented by the formula H2, which means that two hydrogen atoms are combined, or bonded, together. Zeppelins, early machines for air travel, used helium to rise, similar to helium balloons. Hydrogen gas was responsible for the Hindenburg disaster in 1936, because its high flammability caused the craft to catch fire. Hydrogen is an important component of petroleum fuel used to power cars. It is also used in rocket fuels as a liquid. The periodic table/Hydrogen - Wikiversity The periodic table/Hydrogen Completion status : this resource is considered to be ready for use . Resource type : this resource is an article. Educational level : this is a research resource. Pronunciation of Hydrogen Discovery[ edit ] Hydrogen was discovered in 1766, by Henry Cavendish in London, UK (even though scientists have been producing hydrogen for years...

Written records said that chemist Robert Boyle has been producing hydrogen as early as 1671!). Antoine Lavoisier gave the element its name, derived from the Greek 'hydro' (ὑδρο) and 'genes' (γενής) , meaning water-forming. Uses[ edit ] Hydrogen can form an explosive mixture from air. It is currently manufactured from methane gas, but can also be made through the electrolysis of water and aqueous salts. Hydrogen gas is used to make key materials like ammonia, cyclohexane and methanol, which are intermediates in the production of fertilisers, plastics and pharmaceuticals. Large quantities of hydrogen are used in the Haber process and for the hydrogenation of oils from fats. Hydrogen is part of the DNA molecule. Hydrogen is found in the sun and most of the stars, and is the most abundant element in the universe. The planet Jupiter is composed mostly of hydrogen, and there is a theory that in the interior of the planet the pressure is so great that metallic hydrogen is formed from solid molecular hydrogen.

On Earth, hydrogen is found in the greatest quantities in water, only being present in the atmosphere in small amounts - less than 1 part per million by volume.

Question: Which element discovered by Cavendish in 1766, has a name that means 'water producing'?
Answer: HYDROGEN